HS2 railway

HS2 railway

The Government is building a new railway between London and Birmingham, called High Speed 2. The construction of the railway will affect the people, businesses and natural environment in Three Rivers District, just south of Maple Cross and near to West Hyde.

The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 gave powers to a government body, HS2 Ltd, to build a new railway that will cross part of the Three Rivers District.

There will be 1.4 miles of track in Three Rivers District, just south of Maple Cross and near to West Hyde between a 2 mile viaduct over the Colne Valley and a tunnel under the Chilterns, as well as semi-permanent construction compounds. Initial work is now underway on the new High Speed railway (HS2) between London and Birmingham. These are major works so there will be significant local disruption for at least the next 10 years.

Three Rivers District Council raised serious concerns about the impact of the works and has received assurances from the Government about the way the railway will be built, including the construction of temporary slip roads to link the M25 with the site to reduce heavy construction traffic on local roads.

You can see some of the official plans here:

Proposed scheme plan (pdf)
Construction works plan (pdf)
Definitions, legal notices and disclaimers (pdf)

High Speed Two Limited (HS2 Ltd) is responsible for developing the high speed rail network and has appointed contractors which will produce detailed designs for the railway. The Council will be consulted on details of the final schemes and will continue to check that HS2 Ltd and their contractors deliver to agreed plans and commitments particularly around noise, light and dust pollution. Lorry routes will be agreed by Hertfordshire County Council as the Highway Authority.